I did the 2010 Seattle Marathon, my first Seattle Marathon. Perfect weather (37 degrees at the start, 44 degress at the finish, no wind or rain). The course is fantastic along Lake Washington and the floating bridge; for an out-and-back legged course, it is very nice. It is mainly flat, with a few small inclines and declines, until (as noted before) mile 20 when the hills come into play. I was paced at 10 minutes/mile until then. Finished at 4:30. The clothing check is very easy and nicely located at the start; however, when I finished at the west end of Memorial Stadium (a nice place to finish), and followed the signs to the "Recovery Area," I expected that my clothes would be there. But they were still back at the east end, so I have to go back out to the stadium field and up the stairs to get my clothes. Not a real major thing, but still, my legs were tired after the run.

I will definitely do this again. I came from Tacoma; I took the #594 bus from the Tacoma Dome at 5:30, and it let me off less than a mile from the start around 6:15.

The Seattle Marathon is a race that is easily overlooked, since it takes place on Thanksgiving weekend. I've run this race several times and like it for many reasons.

First, the size of this marathon is just right. Only a couple of thousand runners. Not too large and not too small. Second, regardless of the hills, the course is scenic. Lastly, the organization is solid. From packet pick-up to race-day course support, the race experience went smoothly.

This year's weather was chilly and dry, and the sun came out later in the race. Good volunteer support on the course and at the finish. The race shirt was a big improvement over last year's quality (Saucony) tech shirt - nice color and design.

I enjoyed the scenery of downtown Seattle and the various neighborhoods, parks, and bodies of water the course took me through. I was not ready for the series of hills at the end of the race, which is exactly when you don't need them. I did appreciate the splitting of groups into four waves of runners at the beginning, which is a good logistical strategy. Temps were bit on the cooler side, which made me keep my a jacket on for almost the entire time, so something to keep in mind for this time of year. Medal was simple but very nice, and I liked to see that half-marathoners received the same-size medal (only silver) as the marathoners. Expo also seemed a bit condensed in the given hotel space, as well as the post-race festivities at the finish. Overall, a good marathon experience, but not one I'd choose to do again.

I was somewhat apprehensive going into this race with regard to (a) the hills, and (b) the potential for rain. Despite checking race reviews, course hill profiles, and talking to other runners, I just couldn't seem to get a good picture of how hilly this course really was. As it turned out, the hills were not so bad. I would estimate that a 3:30 marathoner could expect to add 5-7 minutes compared to a flat course. And the weather, fortunately, was nearly perfect marathon weather - cloudy, +10C (50F), and only a few drops of rain. The race was very well organized, had great volunteers, and a very good race expo; I actually bought some items, which is unusual for me! The race hotel was a bargain and, at the risk of starting a debate, I must say that I enjoyed downtown Seattle more than I enjoyed downtown Portland, Oregon in 2008. I will be back!

This was my first Seattle Marathon, and I will definitely do it again. The course was scenic, the mile markers were easy to find on the sides of port-a-potties, and the road closures and volunteers were great. My only disappointment was the lack of food and the fight to get to it in the recovery area. Too crowded, and too little food. And you had to pay to get a finisher's shirt! What's up with that??

The race was good; however, it was the first time that I was stopped mid-race to allow cars to pass. It was at the top of a hill, though, so the forced break may have been a blessing.

The shirts were a horrible design, but that's fine my me since I try to look as ugly as possible when I run.

Scenic route. Minimal but enthusiastic fan support.

Getting food at the end of the race was almost impossible - WAY too crowded. We just left and went to a local restaurant.

I have run the half marathon almost yearly since 2003, and the marathon once; and for the most part, I love it. But I have learned to do without available porta-potties, especially at the start. The other rough edges that never have been fixed are:

1. Easier access to the baggage drop (who wants to climb stairs in a stadium to retrieve items?)

2. As usual, there is no food left over for the slower half marathoners (let alone the marathoners) at the finish because every year they let families take the refreshments meant for the runners.

This course is just amazing. It really shows off the city!

The shirts are horrible!

My wife ran the half, and said that there were people loading up boxes of the post-race food; she couldn't believe they were allowing it. By the time I was done there was hardly anything left. I bet that shortly after I finished there wasn't anything at all. They should not let families and friends of the runners in the post-race area... it gets too crowded and they steal the goodies meant for runners.

This course was BEAUTIFUL! It's wonderful to be able to run along the lake and through the arboretum, without forgetting that you're in a big city. It was also nice near the end of the race to have a landmark like the Space Needle that you're running toward! Be prepared for the STEEP hill at ~20.5. I liked finishing in Memorial Stadium, plus it was a nice surface for sore legs!

Suggestions for improvement:
-The walkers really congested the roads for the runners. The early water stations were especially congested, which would have been very problematic if I had wanted water in the first fourth of the race!
-Who on earth thought it was a good idea to make everyone climb up bleachers after the race to get to the bag check!?! Ouch.
-Would have been nice to have more music or "spirit stations" along the course to re-energize the runners.
-The medals were small and unimpressive compared to those at other marathons I've run.
-I like the bright turquoise shirt color, but the design is sort of boring.

I ran my first half marathon at Rock 'n' Roll Seattle earlier in the summer. I enjoyed my time in this city so much that I came back to run the Seattle Marathon. The weather is a big concern with this race. Local runners told me it rained for most of the month, but the race weekend was overcast and dry. The start time temperature was a bit cool for this Californian, but I warmed up quickly. It turned out to be quite a comfortable day for a run.

There is a little overlap with the R'n'R course and this race, but this route is more scenic and definitely hillier. I liked the loop course with the start/finish at the Space Needle. The first couple of miles are in downtown. The rest are mostly in residential neighborhoods. I didn't mind the out-and-back on the bridge or down to Seward Park. The scenery along the lake is beautiful, even on a cloudy day. The hills between miles 20 and 22 will slow you down. Course support is okay. Well staffed aid stations, but be sure to use the bathroom before the race. There were lines at every porta-potty in the beginning.

Seattle has a good expo for a race of this size - much larger than I expected, with a good variety of booths. The free race shirt was OK: Tech fabric, interesting (green) color.